RICHMOND, Va. — Amid the large series of bills recently signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, we're reviewing a batch of laws that won't see the light of day.
Spanberger signed hundreds of bills passed by the General Assembly. Among the bills approved by the governor were an increase to the minimum wage, protections for FDA-approved contraception use, and legislation targeting rising costs in energy and housing.
Watch related coverage: Spanberger on plan to lower costs in Virginia
According to Virginia's Legislative Information System, seven bills that passed the General Assembly were vetoed by Spanberger:
HB86 — This bill would have required certain producers of mattresses to register with a certified recycling organization with a deadline set for June 1, 2027. This would have incurred a new fee on all mattress purchases.
HB637 — This bill would have created a different tiered system of punishment for the offense of possessing residue of a controlled substance, as opposed to possessing a usable quantity of the controlled substance.
HB1288 — This bill would have increased the maximum value of property that could have been sold at a public auction to satisfy a lien on a motor vehicle without petitioning for a court order for the sale of such property.
SB23 — This bill would have prohibited criminal defendants from waiving their Fourth Amendment rights as a condition of a plea agreement.
SB661 — This bill would have legalized skill games in Virginia while establishing a 25% tax on all gross profits generated from these devices.
SB756 — This bill would have authorized the construction of a new casino in Fairfax County.
SB764 — This bill would have allowed trial courts to temporarily suspend a defendant's driver's license when deferring disposition. For drunk driving cases, the judge would have been able to delay final judgment in order to require the defendant to complete an alcohol safety class, or to order that the defendant may only drive a car equipped with a device that tests for alcohol before the car starts.
Watch related coverage: Spanberger addresses recent approval poll numbers in Virginia
In a press release sent by Spanberger's office, bills that failed to pass the General Assembly were highlighted as a means to dispel misinformation regarding the governor's platform.
"The Office of the Governor does not typically comment on bills that failed to pass the General Assembly. In this case, the volume of misinformation — spread across social media and repeated in press coverage — made a clarification necessary. The facts are straightforward," the press release reads.
HB978, HB900 and SB730 included proposed tax increases to a variety of services:
- Gym membership
- Storage facility use
- Dog walking
- Dog grooming
- Counseling
- Vehicle repair
- Home repair
- Dry cleaning
- Cosmetic services
- Software application services
- Computer-related services
- Website hosting and design
- Data storage
- Digital subscription services
HB243 — This bill proposed a tax on large employers in Virginia. This corporate welfare tax would have been "equal to 100 percent of the qualified employee benefits received by any employees of such large employer residing in the Commonwealth."
HB378 — This bill would have placed an investment income tax on individuals, trusts and estates.
HB1179 — This bill — aiming to boost transportation funds — would have created new taxes for transportation network companies, retail deliveries and regional commercial parking. This bill would have also added a regional highway use fee on all vehicles that are subject to the existing highway use fee.
HB919 — This bill would have imposed an 11 tax on firearm and ammunition sales. The funds would have then been allocated to the Virginia Gun Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund.
